The Bank of Thailand says the share of zombie SMEs (operating profit too low to cover interest for three years running) rose from 2.7% in 2013 to 5.7% in 2024. SME credit has contracted for 16 straight quarters, and only 21% of high-efficiency SMEs can access credit, versus 60% for large firms. Policy support will target profitable, growth-capable firms, not every struggling business. For an SME owner, this means lenders are likely to favour firms with healthy interest coverage, so check your ICR now and prepare clean financial statements before applying for credit or restructuring.